World Cup preview: Honduras
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda
Key player: Julio Cesar de Leon
Previous best: First round 1982
History often has a habit of repeating itself, and so perhaps Honduras shouldn’t be surprised that, as they enter their second World Cup, they are set to face one of the same countries they faced in their first.
It would be a surprise if they got the same result though.
Héctor Zelaya’s goal in Valencia in 1982 earned the Hondurans a point in their first World Cup match, a 1-1 draw with hosts Spain, and that must surely serve as motivation as they prepare to face the Spaniards again this time. Motivation will surely not be enough though.
Whatever they achieve in this World Cup, Honduras are always likely to be most famous in sporting circles for the “Football War”, the 1969 conflict between themselves and El Salvador which – amid mounting political tensions – was intensified by a World Cup qualifier between the nations.
Over 3000 lives were lost, which certainly puts football into perspective, but a new generation of Honduran football fans have got a good team to watch, and they head to South Africa buoyed by their success.
Despite the passage of time, animosity still exists between Honduras and El Salvador, which made last October’s 1-0 win in San Salvador – which sealed World Cup qualification – a particularly sweet moment for the Hondurans.
That followed a semi-final place in the in the Gold Cup, with Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda transforming his team into hard-to-beat opponents.
The emergence of some of their players in Europe has helped that. Tottenham Hotspur paid £12million for Wilson Palacios when they signed the midfield enforcer from Wigan Athletic in January 2009, a club that now houses Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa, the latter of whom scored one of the best goals of the recently completed Premier League season from the halfway line at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium.
Julio César de León has been somewhat of a journeyman in Italy with both Serie A and B clubs, and the attacking midfielder’s set pieces will be vital at the finals. De León – “Rambo” to his friends and 7.8million Honduran people – will probably play off David Suazo, Thomas’ cousin and a powerful forward with a variety of different Italian clubs.
Headline writers will hope that Motagua striker Georgie Welcome – who wasn’t named after the signs they used to hang outside Manchester nightclubs in the 1960s – will do his best to get on the scoresheet, while veteran captain Amado Guevara is the joint-highest cap holder heading into the finals along with Cameroon’s Rigobert Song, and 36-year-old striker Carlos Pavón – who has moved clubs 20 times in his career – has experience of getting on the end of David Beckham passes at LA Galaxy and scored seven goals in qualifying.
Rueda and his men face a tough task to qualify for the second round, with their opening match against Chile likely to determine their fate in the group.
Another point against Spain would be greatly received in a Spanish speaking country, and lightning can strike twice, right?
Honduras squad
1 Ricardo CANALES (Motagua)
2 Osman CHÁVEZ (Platense)
3 Maynor FIGUEROA (Wigan)
4 Johnny PALACIOS (Olimpia)
5 Victor BERNÁRDEZ (Anderlecht)
6 Hendry THOMAS (Wigan)
7 Ramón NÚÑEZ (Olimpia)
8 Wilson PALACIOS (Tottenham Hotspur)
9 Carlos PAVÓN (Real Espana)
10 Julio César DE LEÓN (Torino)
11 David SUAZO (Genoa)
12 Georgie WELCOME (Motagua)
13 Roger ESPINOZA (Kansas City Wizards)
14 Oscar GARCÍA (Olimpia)
15 Walter MARTÍNEZ (Marathon)
16 Mauricio SABILLÓN (Hangzhou Luchen)
17 Edgar ÁLVAREZ (Bari)
18 Noel VALLADARES (Olimpia)
19 Danilo TURCIOS (Olimpia)
20 Amado GUEVARA (Motagua)
21 Emilio IZAGUIRRE (Motagua)
22 Donis ESCOBER (Olimpia)
23 Sergio MENDOZA (Motagua)
For previews of Honduras' Group H opponents click here:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Chile-a12473
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Spain-a12475
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Switzerland-a12477
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